Talk:Rothera Research Station

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It is requested that a map or maps be included in this article to improve its quality. Wikipedians in Antarctica may be able to help!

I propose to include information about the Rothera season, and Base opertaions. Does anyone object.

Draft below:

[edit] Summer Season

The first ship after winter does not normally arrive at the station until Early December, and it has been for many years the RRS James Clarke Ross(JCR). By this time the 4 Twin Otters and Dash 7 have normally been on station for 4 to 6 weeks (arriving late October). The regular trips to Stanley by the Dash have swelled the base population and the Season is fully underway.

The arrival of the JCR can almost double the base size overnight. The remainder of the field science staff will arrive, but in the main the Biology Science Staff arrive on the JCR and start the Rothera based activities.

Sometime in mid Decmeber (when the weather conditions allow), a single Twin Otter will fly, non-stop, to Halley, the other major BAS station in Antarctica. A plane will remain for the short Halley season in support of science and depot work local to Halley.

By February, the Halley plane has returned, and the weather south of Rothera and in the mountains around has worsened, reducing the amount of flying that is able to be done. The planes head south sometime towards the end of February or the Beginning of March.

The station is then "closed" for winter when the RRS Ernest Shackleton departs Rothera at end of March, leaving the winter staff alone until October.

Apacheeng lead 16:26, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Winter

Winter Staff at Rothera are (as is the case almost everywhere in Antarctica) almost all Support Staff. A Met Man, Physical Sciences and between 2 and 3 Biologists keep all the long term experimants at Rothera running. The remaining 18 or so staff, consist of jobs such as Electrician, Mechanics (usually 3), Field Mountainteers, Doctor, Radio Officer, Chef, Plumber, Joiner, and alike.

The science outside is severly limited by the weather. Although diving will carry on, the formation of Sea Ice can hamper diving opertaions until it eithers breaks up and disappates or becomes strong enough to operate from.

Winter Staff benefit from 2 "winter trips" which are an oppotunity to travel in the Antractic using the BAS camping system. The trips can be to many different locations around Adelaide Island, and often go to Carvajal Base (the Chilean station, which was once Adelaide Station).

Mid Winter is a time of celebration, and staff have the week "off". On Mid Winters day itself, the team will listen to a broadcast from the BBC which will include a message from families, exchange a present and then have a massive feast prepared by the chef.